TV networks around the world are scrambling to deliver their content to multiple screens as viewer behavior continues to shift from scheduled to time-shifted/on-demand. But doing so efficiently is complicated by disparate systems required to set and reset viewing and ad policies. To streamline this process, thePlatform is launching mpx Replay today, which gives TV networks the tools to quickly make available programs for catch-up and start-over viewing across screens.

mpx Replay is targeted to both international and U.S. TV networks. As thePlatform's co-CEO Marty Roberts explained to me, internationally, where pay-TV operators typically retain VOD rights, TV networks are able to use mpx Replay primarily to publish their own content for catch-up viewing (a good example of this is the BBC iPlayer's catch-up viewing window of 30 days).

Conversely, in the U.S. the primary application of mpx Replay would be TV networks using it to publish replicas of their linear broadcasts, complete with the same ad load and ads themselves in the C3/C7 windows. These ads would receive full Nielsen credit as all of the Nielsen ID tags are maintained in the conversion process. Following the C3/C7 window, new ads can be dynamically inserted.

With mpx Replay, TV networks can take recordings of their linear channels from their encoder and publish them online during the broadcast itself, or after. The recording schedule can be flexibly set and modified as needed for special events. Availability policies can also be set and modified to accommodate particular windows or black-out restrictions. All metadata originally set up in mpx are applied to catch-up and start-over files. All pre-configured transcoding profiles are available to publish to multiple screens.

As TV networks accelerate their multi-screen initiatives and ramp-up program availability the pressure to do so with efficient workflows is only going to increase. Solutions like mpx Replay will therefore become more important.

(Note: thePlatform is a VideoNuze sponsor)